Rescue
by Hammy Uchiha
Summary: Sasuke's gotten himself into quite a mess...


**After six hours in the car, here it is. I'm hoping it flows okay.**

**Note: I don't own Naruto, that privilege belongs to the honorable Kishi-sama.**

**Please read and review, or Sai's abs may have to pay you a visit. **

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**Rescue**

**By Hammy Uchiha**

The boy had a hard time sleeping.

It was not insomnia, but rather that the voices in his head would not shut up long enough for sleep to take him. Sometimes the only thing that would let him was sleep was training so hard that he fell asleep as soon as he hit the pillow. Most of the time however he just lay awake until in the wee hours in the morning when his eye lids drooped and sleep final took him, but then he was up four hours later at sunrise.

It was another one of those nights, he was sitting cross legged on his bed staring at a scroll of ninja techniques, it was meant to keep his mind away from the wandering thoughts, but it wasn't working very well.

_Traitor, that's all I am. _

_They deserved it, bunch of idiots. _

_Not idiots. _

_Yes idiots!_

_Friends, call them what they are. _

_Were. _

Angrily he slid his finger down the scroll. Genjutsu of one thousand swords piercing your enemy's heart… genjustsu was no good on Itachi. Calling lightning down from the sky… why call it down when you could hold it in your hand?

_It was for their own good, you know he would have found them. _

_I could've protected them._

_Like you protected your parents? Ha! _

The Uchiha rolled up the scroll with a scowl on his face.

_You know it's better like this, the further I'm away from them, the safer they are. _

_They'll be coming back for you… _

_I'll push them away again, they're better off without me. _

_That's not what they think. _

Sasuke lay down on his hard bed and covered his head with his arms, it was the same argument every night, he shouldn't have left… he did the right thing… With a groan he tried to clear his mind, but the voices ranted on.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway, the voices shut up and Sasuke reached for his sword. He knew the person the footsteps belonged to, and hoped faintly that he would forget how violent Sasuke was at night and come sauntering into the room without knocking. The Uchiha pressed himself to the wall and waited for his victim to open the door. But the knock came and the chance to kill Kabuto dissolved like a thin mist.

"Sasuke-kun, Orochimaru has a surprise for you."

Sasuke slipped his sword into his belt, eternally hating Orochimaru and everything he stood for. _Old snake face couldn't plan a surprise if he read a book on it, nor if he had someone cater in a surprise, it'd still be lame. _The Uchiha couldn't easily count the number of times Orochimaru's "surprises" had mentally disturbed him, nearly killed him, or just plain weirded him out. As soon as Orochimaru wanted his rent… that is Sasuke's body, the Uchiha planned to get himself out of this place. He wasn't quite sure he could, but he was willing to try. He had not come here for the Snake Master's promises or purposes but to get any free secrets the old geezer would give him and plant himself as far away from his friends. The further they were from him, the safer they were from Itachi.

Sasuke slipped on his shoes and opened the door.

"I have to oblige him, don't I?" he asked emptily. Kabuto was giving the Uchiha one of his random smiles.

"I'll take that as a yes," he muttered making sure he had his sword in case things got out of hand. Kabuto led him down the hall. Sasuke yawned, finally he was getting tired; he might actually get some sleep tonight if Orochimaru didn't take too long. As they walked a scream sounded out, somewhere nearby. Indiscreetly Sasuke shuddered, he hated screams they reminded him too much of a certain person. Finally Kabuto pushed open a door and waved for Sasuke to enter first. Grumbling quietly under his breath about lame surprises Sasuke walked in. The room was dimly lit but he could see very well what the surprise was meant to be. Terror sprang up his chest like a spring daisy but nothing crossed his face to show exactly was what going on in his head.

The pink haired girl had her wrists tied behind her back, and a gag in her mouth and was struggling against Orochimaru who was attempting to hold her still. Kabuto slipped in and shut the door.

"Look what I found hiding in our pantry, dear Sasuke-kun, surely you remember this little rat," said Orochimaru in a hissing voice.

"Mhmm! Mhhm!" cried Sakura pulling hard against Orochimaru.

"I just wanted to invite you here to watch me kill her, Sasuke-kun," said Orochimaru licking his lips. He caught Sakura's neck in his pale white hand; he pressed her against the wall strangling her.

"Mm!!" she struggled the gag slipped a little. "Sasuke," she choked. The Uchiha had not moved a single inch, his eyes glued to his pink haired friend.

_Don't just stand there you idiot!_

_Stay! She probably came here just to kill you in the first place. You owe here nothing! _

_You'll be blown if you move; Orochimaru will know your real purpose for being here. Don't move. _

_MOVE!_

_Don't!_

_MOVE! _

Sasuke gritted his teeth together, worry beginning to knit his brow.

"Sasuke," she choked again, her face was very pale. Orochimaru was watching Sasuke, watching the indecision playing in his onyx eyes. Orochimaru tightened his grip to a shriek from Sakura. Sasuke took a step forward his eyes pinned on Sakura. He couldn't just stand here and watch her die.

"What is this I see?" asked Orochimaru as Sasuke's shaking hand clenched the hilt of his sword. His teeth were gritted so tightly it hurt. Sakura cried out as Orochimaru slammed her against the wall.

"Stop!" choked Sasuke the word falling out of his mouth like the strangled cry of a child. Orochimaru cocked his head at Sasuke, a wicked smile on his lips.

"What did you say?" he asked quietly. Sakura's struggling was beginning to weaken, her body going limp.

"Stop!" cried Sasuke again, his face in torture. Orochimaru licked his lips.

"The taste of your anguish is ever so sweet, my dearest Sasuke-kun,"

Sakura let out one last shrill cry as Orochimaru clutched her neck. Sasuke leapt forward, every voice in his head cheering him forward. His sword nearly impaled the Snake Master through the heart as Sasuke leapt forward. Instead the blade skimmed Sakura's arm as Orochimaru moved, dragging the kunoichi with him. Coherent thoughts stopped as Sasuke threw himself full force as Orochimaru. His voice exploded in a cry of anger.

This time his slash at the Snake Man caused him to drop Sakura. Orochimaru leapt back before the blade could even touch him. Sasuke charged right after him, as Sakura tried to get her breath back. She managed to get her hands free just as Kabuto came after her.

Sasuke's next hit almost got Orochimaru.

"Still rebelling? I thought we were close Sasuke-kun." Sasuke visibly cringed at the –kun added to his name, only Sakura could do that. Sasuke brought his sword around for another hit as Orochimaru hit him with a group of striking snakes from his sleeve. Their sharp fangs sank into Sasuke's skin as he tried to get back. The sword quickly ended that as Orochimaru turned to fix his genjutsu on Sasuke. The Uchiha was too quick for him and knocked the Sannin to the floor with a well aimed kick. Orochimaru leapt up launching kunai at Sasuke who easily dodged. Sword in hand, anger written all over his face Sasuke charged again.

"Enough stupid childish play, use your Sharingan, Uchiha," commanded Orochimaru knocked the sword from Sasuke's grip. The Uchiha swung a leg around to kick the Sannin again but Orochimaru was gone. Suddenly the cold arm around Sasuke's neck let him know he was still outclassed against the pale faced Orochimaru. Sasuke struggled his mind racing as Orochimaru drew a kunai to give his protégé a good stab. With a substitution technique Sasuke freed himself and dove for his sword.

Even as his hand wrapped around the hilt the hard foot of Orochimaru slammed down on his hand. The Uchiha rolled out of the way of a hard kick at his ribs. He stumbled up as Orochimaru picked up his sword and came at him. Sasuke soon found dodging his sword was harder than it looked. The sharp blade quickly sliced across his side as he barely managed to avoid Orochimaru's sharp stab. Sasuke got himself a bit of distance before daring to look at his wound. Blood was already staining his shirt, and he realized not only on his side, but across the rest of himself as well. They were all small cuts from not being fast enough to dodge Orochimaru. A throb of pain swept through him as he tried to get his breath back.

The whole world blanked momentarily before his eyes and as his vision came stinging back Sasuke saw Orochimaru coming at him. He reached for a kunai and blocked the Snake Master's swing. Sasuke's legs almost gave out beneath him as he fought the overpowering strength of the sword. The Uchiha in one quick move tried to get his blade back. Bad move.

Sasuke hit the floor hard gripping his ribs. Orochimaru dragged him up by the front of his shirt.

"You continue to disappoint me Sasuke-kun. No Sharingan? That's just sad."

Sasuke managed to open his eyes long enough to see Orochimaru's evil golden gaze. Orochimaru slammed him up against the wall. Sasuke groaned.

"Kabuto get over here," called the Sannin looking around for Kabuto, there was no sign of either him or Sakura. Sasuke shut his eyes again, he could only recall a few other times he had been beaten this bad. Always Orochimaru got Kabuto to heal him up, to save his life.

_I don't want to live._

The quiet voice was the only one left, they other louder ones were now silenced. Sasuke groaned, and tried to struggle, tried to get away. It was no use, he was too tired, too beaten to even try.

"Don't go pulling anything like that again, you got me?" hissed Orochimaru coldly. Sasuke had nearly forgotten the Sannin, but now the voice was so close. He shuddered. Somewhere there came several yells and Orochimaru let him fall to the floor and curl up tightly trying to block out the pain.

"Kabuto?!" called Orochimaru's voice distantly as everything began to blur for Sasuke.

_Maybe I'm going to die after all… was it all for nothing?… Naruto… Sakura…_

The pain came flashing back like a bad nightmare in his side as he felt the foreign chakra being pressed into him. Instinctively he reached to grip something. His numb fingers hit the smooth waxy blades of grass.

_Grass?_

He tried to push himself away from the healer. _I don't want to live, just leave me be._ A warm hand touched his face.

"Just relax," she whispered. "It's going to be alright," she assured him before continuing to press her chakra into his side. She continued to talk to him, but he had no idea what she was saying. The soft whisper of her voice calmed him and slowly but surely lulled him into peace. Too weak, too tired Sasuke didn't bother to open his eyes but finally he just let go.

When consciousness returned Sasuke opened his eyes, and found himself looking up into the patterned canopy of trees softly swaying into a nearly non existent breeze. Summoning the strength he sat up hearing the low buzz of insects and deep croaking of frogs. The smell of late summer hummed in the warm air. _I'd almost forgotten what outside air tastes like. _The Uchiha drank in the outside world, full and pulsing with life unlike the cold snake lair of Orochimaru's. Sunlight patched down in a dappled pattern on the grass. Sasuke looked around for her. To thank her.

"Sakura?" he whispered dimly, but the warm late summer afternoon was devoid of all but himself. Nearby he spotted a pack. A dark shirt and a pair of pants were waiting atop the fully stocked pack. His sword laid nearby in the grass. Gently Sasuke pick up the shirt turning it over, the emblem of his clan was on its back. As he unfolded it out fell a note. He picked it up.

_Sasuke,_

_Do what you have to. I know you have your reasons, whatever they may be, for what you do. I know Naruto will understand. I'll wait for you. _

_With love,  
Sakura_

Sasuke stared at the note for several moments not knowing what to think. Still a little bit sore he tugged on the shirt and pants, now unrecognizable as one of Orochimaru's men. He picked up his sword and pack and then still staring at the note he headed out.

_Don't worry Sakura, I won't make you wait too long._

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**Please Review, I want to know what you think. Part of me wants this story to be continued but I'm not sure I have the motivation for that.**

**-Hammy Uchiha **


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